Newly appointed prime minister Liz Truss has conducted her cabinet reshuffle, with many of the top jobs being allocated to her allies in the Tory leadership race.
Truss’ premiership comes as a major first for the UK, as none of the main four great offices of state are to be occupied by a white man.
Instead, the UK’s 56th PM has selected Kwasi Kwarteng for the role of chancellor, James Cleverly as foreign secretary and Suella Braverman as home secretary, following the resignation of Priti Patel.
One of Kwarteng’s first responsibilities in his new office will be to finalise a package of targeted support for households to help with rising energy bills, which could see energy bills capped at £2,500 per year for consumers thanks to government subsidies.
Meanwhile, the role of health secretary in Truss’ new cabinet goes to Therese Coffey, who also assumes the position of deputy prime minister. Jacob Rees-Mogg has been appointed business secretary, Ranil Jayawardena is the new environment secretary, while Ben Wallace retained his position as secretary of state for defence.
Truss also handed roles to some of her initial rivals in the leadership contest who subsequently backed her after being eliminated. Tom Tugendhat was named security minister, Penny Mordaunt the new leader of the House of Commons, Kemi Badenoch became secretary of state for international trade, and Nadhim Zahawi is the new chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Truss ally Nadine Dorries was asked to stay on as culture secretary but has left the cabinet saying that it was the “right time” to step away.
Former cabinet ministers Dominic Raab, Grant Shapps, George Eustice and Steve Barclay – who backed leadership rival Rishi Sunak – have all left their positions.
During her first two days in office, Truss made calls to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and US president Joe Biden, during which she discussed the UK’s continued support for Ukraine and the importance of reaching an agreement with the European Union over trading conditions in Northern Ireland, respectively.
On Wednesday (September 7), Truss is holding her first meeting with her freshly assembled cabinet in the morning before facing Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at the despatch box for her first Prime Minister’s Questions at midday.
Photo by Photographer: Simon Dawson / No10 Downing Street, Posted by: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP on Wikimedia Commons
